Is Your Life Ever Changing? God is Never Changing...

Wow...it's been a while since I've been here. 

Life is moving right along.  My hair is growing, my health is improving, and my waist is growing.  Yeah, I've gained a couple of pounds since chemo but that's ok.  I am enjoying the taste of food again.  It's all good.

I had my colonoscopy done yesterday and the doctor said it was the best intestines he's ever seen.  Not a single polyp.  Whoo whoo! 

They wheeled me back to the 'room' where the procedure was going to be done and were waiting for the anesthesiologist to show up and in pops the doctor.  He says "Are we ready to go?" and I lifted my head up and said, "I don't think so...I'm not asleep yet and you're not starting until I am completely asleep."  They all had a big laugh about that.  I wasn't joking though....

I got cheated though. Instead of the good anesthesia that everyone says they wake up from and feel like they've had the best sleep ever, I had to have a different anesthesia because the other would have reacted adversely to some of the other meds I am on. So I woke up all groggy feeling.


Ah well, such is life.
 
So, bottom line (REALLY...no pun intended there, Mom) I don't have to have another one done for five years.  I was VERY glad to hear that.  With each good report on my body, I feel hope.  8-)
 
So, if you're having one of those days where you feel like someone has moved your cheese and life is changing too much and too quickly, try to remember the following words from Max:
 
"Middle C
 
By Max Lucado
 
“From everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2
 
You and I need a middle C. Haven’t you had enough change in your life? Relationships change. Health changes. The weather changes. But the Yahweh who ruled the earth last night is the same Yahweh who rules it today. Same convictions. Same plan. Same mood. Same love. He never changes. You can no more alter God than a pebble can alter the rhythm of the Pacific. Yahweh is our Middle C. A still point in a turning world."
 
By Grace Alone -
 
Teresa

Just Another Day

I am a little down today.

I have the head/neck pain that begins right before shingles break out.  I am SO tired of shingles.

I called my Medical Oncologyst's nurse today to see if maybe I need a different medication this time since this is the third breakout since the first of July.  She is supposed to call me back. 

This weekend I think I am just going to lay around and read a book and do nothing stressful.  (Since stress supposedly activates them.)  Of course, I think it is more than mental stress, I think my body is still in stress from the chemo and it is the body stress that is causing the problem.  I can tell that my white count still isn't what it should be.  Sigh...

I am getting to work on one of the programs for the next couple of weeks at work because they are short a scheduler and I am actually having a lot of fun with it.  It is good to get my hands dirty again (that's just a figure of speech...my job really isn't dirty) and get out amoung the workers on the program.  I like my other job too which involves auditing schedules and training schedulers and CAMs but there's nothing like getting ahold of a schedule and analyzing it and giving the data to the program manager to help them manage the program better.

My son will be 26 on the 30th of August.  I am just amazed at how that time has flown.  It seems like just yesterday that I was holding him in my arms and rocking him to sleep.  Then he was making friends at school and then he was playing baseball.  Next thing I know, he is playing computer games and going off to college.  I turned around and all of a sudden he was married and had a little girl himself.  She is a beauty too.

Here she is with what looks like a bit of a 'tude.  I can just imagine her saying "Say WHAT?"  (I am sure she gets that attitude from her mother's side of the family...lol)

Here she is just being adorable.

Well, she can't help it that she is so cute...

Well, on to the Max for today:

"Ask for More

By Max Lucado

“Lord, teach me what you want me to do, and I will live by your truth.” Psalm 86:11

When kindness comes through grudgingly, we’ll remember God’s kindness to us and ask Him to make us more kind. When patience is scarce, we’ll thank Him for His and ask Him to make us more patient. When it’s hard to forgive, we won’t list all the times we’ve been given grief. Rather, we’ll list all the times we’ve been given grace and pray to become more forgiving."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Random Thoughts

I don't think about death so much anymore.  Goodness, but that is a good thing.  I am now thinking about things that we should do in the future.  I don't think about doctors all the time and when my next appointment is.  I get to LIVE life again.  It's really awesome.  Cancer plays a lot of mind games with you...SHAME on Cancer.

Speaking of doctors...I got a clean bill of health from my Radiology Oncologyst yesterday.  I don't have to go back to him for 6 months.  I don't have to go back to my surgeon for a year (unless something comes up that I need him for) and I don't have to see my Medical Oncologyst until October.  Life is good.

We are sitting in the office this morning with the window open for Shadow (who is not even sitting in it..HA) and I hear all the morning sounds that I grew up with when I was living in TN.  Cicadas, frogs, and birds.  It is so peaceful out here in the country.  I am really glad we live out here now instead of Florida.  It has also (finally) turned cooler here.  I know the entire country must be breathing a sigh of relief because it actually looks like summer is moving into fall and the temperature is dropping to a more acceptable level.

At this point, you, the reader, should be going "blah, blah, blah...does this girl have anything of importance to say today?"  The answer is absolutely not.  I just woke up in the mood to blog a bunch of totally random thoughts...lol. 

So, here are some words from Max that aren't so random or meaningless...8-)

"Brag About That

By Max Lucado

“The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging.” Galatians 6:14

Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don’t need to drop names or show off. You need only to pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this: The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that is a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Multi-Tasking in Today's World.

I love my nephew's latest blog where he confirms that our earthly home is not the home that we should be longing for but the heavenly home is the one we should put our eyes on.  That is where our real 'rest' will be attained.  8-)  His musings can be found at http://danielbennett.blogspot.com/.  He is a pastor and lives in Illinois.  He currently has 4 children (I always say 'currently' because you never know when young people are finished having those babies....lol.) and a very busy life.  I noticed the last time I talked to him (about a year ago at my father's funeral) that he is always multitasking.  You can be having a conversation with him and he will be busy doing something else as well.  I saw a picture of him with his family recently and while he was having his picture taken, he was talking on the phone.  He is a very busy man...I really hope he slows down enough to enjoy those kids while they are young.  As we get older, we realize how much we probably missed of our kids childhood because those are such busy years for young adults.  Anyway, he has been in my thoughts a lot lately...just thought I would share some of them...8-)

He comes by that multi-tasking quite naturally.  His mother (My sister) is the same way...you can be talking to her on the phone and know that she is busy with something else, even if it is just traveling on the road. 

But wait...I AM THE SAME WAY...lol.  Rarely do I just do one thing at a time.  Even if it is just playing games.  I will have several going at the same time.  One on my IPAD, one on my IPhone, and one on my computer.  As one is doing something I have to wait for, I'll move to the other one, etc.  At the same time that the three games are going, I'll also be balancing my budget for the week.  My mom and I used to skype and play games at the same time.  Tom and I watch TV and I am playing a game at the same time I am watching TV.  I cook and read at the same time.  (The list goes on and on.)  We are all a family of multi-taskers.  I think our intelligence makes us bored very easily.  (Now, I'm not bragging here, it's just a fact that we're all fairly smart...lol.)

Should we slow down more and pay attention to what is really going on around us?  Probably...is it possible for us to do so?  Probably not...there is only one of us and so many tasks to get done before each day ends.  But some of it is just in our 'nature'.  My husband is used to my nature and accepts it as part of who I am...my coworkers...not as much.  I have one in particular that will insist that I give him my full attention without multi-tasking while he chats with me.  Of course, he is one of those laid back types that never feels the stress of any moment.  Whatever...I can't even relate to that attitude...lol.

Forge on with that multi-tasking...be yourself...it is in your nature.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Happy Anniversary!

Tom and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday by taking in the latest Harry Potter movie (actually physically went out to the movies which is very rare for us) and ate a lot of popcorn while we were there, then stopped by my favorite clothing store (Coldwater Creek) and found several new oufits (BAD BAD me...new fall clothes were out and I couldn't resist) and put the four pairs of slacks on hold until Thursday when they have their buy one pair of slacks and get the other pair for 50% off sale going on.  (Our actual anniversary date is Monday the 15th but we wanted to have a 'date day' to celebrate so we did it on Saturday.)

Then we went to Florence, AL to the Walmart to take care of our weekly shopping and had a late supper at Texas Roadhouse.  They have the best steaks in the whole world as far as we are concerned.  We'll take the flavor of their Filet Mignon Steak over atmosphere in some hoity toity restaurant anyday.  8-)  We got home around 8:30 last night which is very late for us to be out...lol. 

I started taking some megadoses of vitamin B12 a couple of weeks ago and I am seeing some real improvement in my sleeping and my energy levels.  B12 is supposed to help with the production of red blood cells.  Now that I am getting more energy, I may drop back to once every other day instead of taking it every day.  I have also been having some bone pain that is reminiscent of when they gave me (during chemo) the shots of Neulasta to help my bones produce more white blood cells.  Anyway, I really love the energy benefits from the B12. 

Today we went to Lowe's and found Tom a new Weed Eater and bought several attachments for it (blower, cultivator, and edger) because he keeps fighting the engine on the old one.  He also wanted to go to a 4 cycle engine instead of a 2 cycle.   I had received several hundred dollars worth of awards at work for helping different programs with issues that they had and I turned those into Lowe's gift certificates so Tom could spend them where he needed them.  We also get 10% off at Lowe's because he is retired military so we got all that for almost nothing out of our own pockets.  So that was kind of his anniversary present and the clothes were mine.  8-)

Well, enough of my dribble...here are some better words from Max...

"Through Faith

By Max Lucado

“A person is made right with God through faith.” Romans 3:28

Dare you stand before God and ask him to save you because of your suffering or your sacrifice or your tears or your study? . . .

Nor did Paul. It took him decades to discover what he wrote in only one sentence.

“A person is made right with God through faith.” Not through good works, suffering, or study. All those may be the result of salvation but they are not the cause of it." 

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Can You Say Benign?

Well, praising God is definitely in order.  I had my appointment with my doctor yesterday to have the stitches removed and he told me the growth on my arm was totally benign.  Whoo whoo! 

Not much else going on...just thought I'd pass on the good news.  8-)

My son is so funny...he says, "Thank God!  Now I can quit worrying about you."  I told him he didn't have to worry about me anyway.  I am always taken care of.  8-) 

Here is a simple yet very deep Max for today:

"The Answer for Weariness

By Max Lucado

“The teaching I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”  Mathew 11:30

Jesus says he is the solution for weariness of soul.

Go to him. Be honest with him. Admit you have soul secrets you’ve never dealt with. He already knows what they are. He’s just waiting for you to ask him to help . . .

Go ahead. You’ll be glad you did. Those near to you will be glad as well."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Still Waiting...

I still haven't heard from the doctor with the results from my arm biopsy. 

Tom and I had a great relaxed weekend.  Friday we did all the 'work' around the house like lawn mowing (Tom) and laundry (me) and then we had our usual Thai Food for supper.  Every Friday we feed Tom's addiction to Thai food.  He spent a year in Thailand when he was in the service and it is his favorite food.  Luckily, we found a good Thai restaurant when we moved to Alabama 4 years ago or I think Tom would have wanted to move somewhere else.  (He REALLY loves his Thai food.)

We also did some quick shopping Friday afternoon.  Saturday we relaxed around the house and I rearranged the living room in preparation for some new recliners that we just bought.  These recliners feel like you're being snuggled in your mother's arms.  I could hardly force myself to get out of them when we tried them out.  I kept going back and sitting in them again and again.  Tom could hardly pull me away from the store.  He had to buy two of them in order to get me to agree to leave the store...lol.  They are on special order and we should receive them in about 3 weeks.  They are Lane recliners and they are called "Bulldog recliner".  Here is a link to a picture of them.  Bulldog Recliner by Lane

Tom liked that recliner because it is made for tall people.  I just liked the soft and snuggly feel of it.  Also, you can almost lay flat in it.  Good for snoozing, reading a book, or watching TV (or even snoozing while your eyelids watch TV).  8-)

So, we are getting rid of a plaid sleeper couch we have had for about 10 years which was the cat's couch basically.  I'm going to ask our cleaning lady if she wants it or if she knows someone that might want it.  Then if we don't get any takers there, we're going to try giving it away at Tom's work.  They have some kind of thing where people put up things for sale or to give away.  Then if there are still no takers then we'll give it to the salvation army.  Right now it is sitting out in the garage...sigh.  I am such a person who has to have everything in its place and that piece just doesn't have a place at this moment. 

So, I had a shingles attack a couple of weeks ago (I can always tell when they are going to hit because I get the headaches and neck pain...this happens before I get an outbreak)  and I got a new prescription but I couldn't seem to remember to take them.  I would get a couple of them down but would forget one of the three at some point in the day.  So, I just gave up after a few days of that in hopes that they wouldn't go any farther.  Argh...that didn't happen, so now I have a real outbreak of them.  I started the medication back up on Friday but that was too late to stop them from appearing.  It is what it is, I guess.  lol

Here is a good Max for you for today:

"Enough

By Max Lucado

 

“He is able . . . to run to the cry of . . . those who are being . . . tested.”  Hebrews 2:18 AMP

Jesus was angry enough to purge the temple, hungry enough to eat raw grain, distraught enough to weep in public, fun loving enough to be called a drunkard, winsome enough to attract kids, . . . radical enough to get kicked out of town, responsible enough to care for his mother, tempted enough to know the smell of Satan, and fearful enough to sweat blood . . .

Whatever you are facing, he knows how you feel."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Mammogram Results

I went for my mammogram yesterday and have to admit that I was very nervous.  I asked them if Tom could join me back in the waiting area for the mammograms and they said no so he had to wait out in the big waiting room.  I would have liked the moral support  but I was really glad he was there in the building anyway.  Last time they did my mammogram (almost exactly a year ago) I went alone and they did a mammogram, sonogram, and then proceeded to do the biopsy immediately.  I was alone and felt very alone throughout it.  This time I took moral support with me.  8-)

This time they did the mammogram and several magnified shots of the right breast that had previously been diagnosed with cancer and then told me that they were going to have the doctor look at them immediately so I wouldn't have to wait for the results.  I asked the technician if Dr. Gwaltney was there and if she could read them and she said that yes she was and she would specifically take the views to her to read.  Then Dr. Gwaltney came out to talk to me and let me know that it was all good and that there wasn't anything to worry about in either breast at this time.  She gave me a big old hug...she is such a sweetie.  Dr. Gwaltney was the one that did the biopsy last year and the one that called me with the bad news that it was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  Well, it looks like we've conquered that beast...Praising God continuously for this good news.  8-)

It is nice for a change to have good news to report. I am sure it is because of all your prayers.  I can't thank you all enough for being on this journey with me and for your steadfast prayers.  We are now on the other side of that trial.


I just got back from seeing Dr. Sheppard (my surgeon...everyone should have their very own surgeon..lol) and he has done a biopsy on the skin thing that I have going on.  He says we should have results on that by Friday.  I'll let you know how that turns out probably Friday or Saturday depending on what time I get the news.

Here is a good Max for today...

"In Transit

By Max Lucado

“Our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.” Philippians 3:20

You’ve seen people treat this world like it was a permanent home. It’s not. You've seen people pour time and energy into life like it will last forever. It won’t. You’ve seen people so proud of what they have done, that they hope they will never have to leave—they will.

We all will. We are in transit."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Dr. Visit

And the winner is...

Melanoma...at least that is what the doctor thinks it is.  (I had pretty much diagnosed it the same.)  He has scheduled a biopsy for next Wednesday with my favorite surgeon.  He wanted to set me up with a plastic surgeon but Dr. Sheppard did such a great job with my other incisions that I want him to do this one also.  Dr. Waples agreed that he would be a good pick for this.  (Why would I want to add ANOTHER doctor to my seemingly endless string of doctors?)

He also set me up with a mammogram (which was originally scheduled for the 20th of July but I missed...oops) and he got really creative and also set me up for my first colonoscopy.  I had one of those set up when we lived in Florida but we were in the middle of moving to Alabama so I had canceled it.  Honestly, I've been avoiding it like the plague.  I hear the prep for it is horrendous.  Ah well, I can't get out of that one now.  Apparently, my oncologist keeps up with all of these kinds of cancer screening tests.  O Joy.  My bloodwork came out good enough.  My white and red cells are on the lowest side of normal but they ARE within the normal range so I feel good about that.  Dr. Waples said my body is still in recovery so don't be expecting miracles just yet.  Whatever...I believe in miracles so I will continue to expect them.  8-)

So now you have the rest of the story for what it's worth...

Because God is who He is, I am not worried about this new twist in my life....here is some Max for you that reminds us that God is there through all our storms.

"I Am Who I Am

By Max Lucado

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27 NASB

Waves slapping his waist and rain stinging his face, Jesus speaks to [the disciples] at once. “Courage! I am! Don’t be afraid!”

Speaking from a burning bush to a knee-knocking Moses, God announced, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14 NASB).

God gets into things! Red Seas, Judean wildernesses, weddings, funerals, and Galilean tempests. Look and you’ll find what everyone from Moses to Martha discovered. God is in the middle of our storms."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Mr. Shingles and Mr. Multi

I have to admit...I had a very bad weekend.  My old friend 'Mr. Shingles' came back to visit me this last week and a spot on my arm that Tom and I had been watching turned from brown to red, brown, and black.  It fits all of the ABCD categories of skin cancer.  (Asymmetry - one half is different than the other half, Border is irregular, color is uneven, and diameter is greater than 6 millimeters.)  I called my doctor this morning and he wants me to come see him Friday afternoon.  There are also two other small spots that are new and about an inch away from the bigger one. 

I spent most of the weekend moaning over the headache/neck ache (which are always a precursor to the arrival of Mr. Shingles) and whining over my itching back.  I went ahead and started some medicine to battle the shingles and went into 'survival' mode.  After 36 hours of medicine and resting, my headache is better and I have some relief from the neck ache. 

Here is a picture of this new addition to my arm...I've named it "Mr. Multi" because it has so many colors to it.  I never realized how hard it is to take a picture of that side of your arm.  lol.

I also found out this morning that if you've had breast cancer then your chances of getting melanoma are greater and vice-versa.  Article at http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma-and-breast-cancer-a-new-warning.html#.Ti230gnhW1Y.google.  I did not know that before now.  Wow...lucky me.

The good news is that even if it is malignant then we've caught it very very early. 

So here I am in the middle of a storm again but I really don't feel stressed and it is probably because of all the prayers that come my way.   (I thank you ALL for that)

According to Max, even from Jesus...Here is a little Max that is fitting for today.

"We Row

By Max Lucado

"He went into the hills to pray.”  Mark 6:46

What does Jesus do while we are in the storm? You’ll love this. He prays for us . . .
So where does that leave us? While Jesus is praying and we are in the storm, what are we to do? Simple. We do what the disciples did. We row . . .

Much of life is spent rowing . . . Getting out of bed. Fixing lunches . . . More struggle than strut."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Mail Monotony and Grace Immersion

I spent two and a half hours of my life this morning (that I'll never get back) organizing and deleting mail.  How ridiculous is this?  I have two email accounts.  One of them I only give to family and very very close friends and the other one is a dumping ground for anyone who gets hold of that email address.  Some of the emails are so ridiculous that my email program automatically dumps it into the JUNK folder.  Yeah for the program for doing that...HOWEVER...sometimes it dumps important mail in the junk folder also so I have to scan through that trash as well.  Email from my son's phone keep getting dumped in there.  Ugh.  Frustrating.

Anyway, it had been many months since I had done this laborious, mind-numbing, nauseating deed and suffice it to say that there were thousands of emails to go through.  A lot of it was Farmville, Cityville, Gardens of Time, etc.  (Big gamer here...I started those while going through Chemo...I'm pretty much done with them now.)  My finger can now find the delete button with NO problem.  lol

I went into my Facebook account settings after going through the mail and set it up to NOT send me email  notifications about anything.  I figure that if I see it, I see it, if I don't...ah well.  If it is important enough, people will call me.  8-)

When I get to work tomorrow, I will get to plow through a gazillion emails also but all of those will be requests to do something for someone or someone complaining that the program that I am responsible for doesn't work like they think it should.  (sigh...)  I will have to start a long to-do list when I get back to work.  Well, that IS job security.  8-)

It has been a wonderful time off and Tom and I always say that these little vacations give a taste of how wonderful retirement will be when we get there.  In retrospect, we got to see some of the family, got a lot of projects completed, the house deep cleaned and organized (again...funny how this has to be done every so often...) and spent some quality time together laughing over one thing or another.  My energy levels have actually improved with this break (probably because I've been sleeping very late every morning...oh it has been nice.) and maybe I am not as anemic as I was before this started.  I even had a sore throat a few days ago and am now fully recovered from that so my white cells must be working pretty well also.  I am very thankful that God has given us this vacation together.  It has been a healing time all around.

Here is a very fitting Max for my feelings today:

"Immersed in Grace

By Max Lucado

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” Psalm 126:3 NKJV

You have not been sprinkled with forgiveness. You have not been spattered with grace. You have not been dusted with kindness. You have been immersed in it. You are submerged in mercy. You are a minnow in the ocean of God’s mercy. Let it change you!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

We Wear Jesus...

Yesterday was Tom's last day of vacation.  We went to a place called "Unclaimed Baggage".  They had a little bit of everything there.  Tom found a new Jean Jacket with sheepskin lining and I found 4 pairs of dress slacks.  Plus we found some sheets for the bed and a pretty crystal clock for the mantal.  They have a lot of 'junk' there but they also had some good deals on new stuff.  We saw some beautiful scenery on the way.  Alabama sure does have some beautiful mountains. 

Today I got up when Tom left and showered and got ready for my 'meeting' with my cleaning lady.  She understood all of my concerns and did a great job on the house today. 

This afternoon, I am hemming three of the four pairs of slacks I bought yesterday.  Of course, I have pinned them up and started hemming but doing the blog seemed like more fun so here I am...putting it off for a few minutes.  lol   Tom says I should be playing my new Nancy Drew game today but I feel like I need to get things accomplished today and not waste the time.  I have a cabinet in the laundry room that also needs attention this afternoon.  It is the last area of the house that I didn't get organized while I was recovering from chemo.

So...nothing really exciting going on here...I miss Tom being here.  I am thankful for this time away from the stress of work though.  Next Monday it starts all over again.  O joy.  8-)

Here is a little Max for today...interesting perspective on how important appearances and actions can be.

"We Wear Jesus

By Max Lucado

“All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27, NIV

We wear Jesus. And those who don’t believe in Jesus note that we do. They make decisions about Christ by watching us. When we are kind, they assume Christ is kind. When we are gracious, they assume Christ is gracious. But if we are brash, what will people think about our King? When we are dishonest, what assumptions will an observer make about our Master? . . Courteous conduct honors Christ."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Done, I say!

We have finished with the sink (for real this time...no more leaks...yeah!!) and the Necklace Holders.    We ended up cutting the four foot strips into two foot strips and only using three of them.  That leaves room for growth in the future if I want to hang the fourth one.  8-)

Visuals below. 

Below is a close up of the nails so you can see what a great job Mr Tom did of nailing them into the holes.

I have deep cleaned the kitchen today and deep cleaned the fireplace.  While we have a lady that comes in and cleans every week, she doesn't do baseboards or nicknacks so, every once in a while, I have to attack them and get things back the way I like them.  8-) 

I spent some time today during a rest break (for two hours...lol) chatting with Mom on Skype.  It is always a nice and relaxed environment when I chat with Mom.  We each kinda do our thing and chat back and forth when we think of things to say.  Neither of us talks the other to death...8-)   Today she cleaned off a table while talking to me and I cleaned off my desk and played some computer games.  It is kind of like getting to spend some of my vacation time with her without having to travel all the way to Texas.  I am about traveled out after our Kentucky trip. 

Not much else going on here...just thought I'd let you see the finished product. 

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Projects done...now what?

So, after fixing a leak or two (and buying a few new tools to do the job correctly) we finished up the sink/faucet/water filter project.  I finished painting the necklace hanging thingy (I have no idea what to call it since it is a new invention) and sprayed it with some lacquer and it is drying now.  Tom says they look really good but I think they look either like a 5 year old who can't color in the lines or an arthritic old lady who can't hold her hands steady while she paints did it.  Tom says Van Gogh couldn't paint in between the lines either and it gives it a realistic look.  Whatever.  I still like it.  It doesn't have to be perfect...just functional and kinda pretty at the same time.  8-)  I'll post another "finished on the wall" picture when we get it hung.

Since we are just about finished with these projects, I find myself saying "What's next" for the next couple of days.  Tom wants to go out to the Unclaimed Baggage place and see what kind of deals we can find.  We might do that on Wednesday.  Tomorrow we'll double check under the sink and make sure there still aren't any leaks (yeah, that'll take about 5 minutes...unless there are leaks...hmmm) and if there aren't then we'll put everything back under the sink.  Next we'll get the necklace thingys hung (I REALLY have to come up with a name for them.) and then make some plans for the last day of vacation.  I am going to take Thursday and Friday off also but Tom goes back to work on Thursday.

Thursday the cleaning lady comes and I want to chat with her about ways to 'improve' her current cleaning habits.  (grin)  I might even jump into the cleaning with her and get all the baseboards cleaned (which is one of her deficiencies...) and by then I'll need to start the laundry and I want to wash all the rugs in the house, etc.  You get the idea...I like to get things accomplished.  8-)  No need to waste time while on vacation.  I will go back to work refreshed because things got done. 

Max really spoke to me with his daily devotion today...enjoy!

"Get Your Eye Off Yourself

By Max Lucado

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4, NASB

What’s the cure for selfishness?

Get your self out of your eye by getting your eye off yourself. Quit staring at that little self and focus on your great Savior . . .

Focus on the encouragement in Christ, the consolation of Christ, the love of Christ, the fellowship of the Spirit, the affection and compassion of heaven."

It is so easy to get caught up in 'me me me'...I pray God will move my eyes away from me and always onto Him.

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Projects Galore

Okay...I might have gone a little overboard in Lowe's Friday.  Oops.

We have a few more days of vacation left and following my grandmother's teachings about idle hands being the devil's workshop and all, I picked out a 'few' projects.  I've wanted a new sink since we moved in (the house was new when we bought it and just had a stainless steel sink in it...builder's grade...you know...I've always hated those because they scratch up so badly) so we found a really nice granite composite mocha one to go with our countertops. 

After picking that out, we went over to the faucets to find one that would go with the new sink.  The one we picked out has a soap dispenser, sprayer and faucet.  Perfect.  Then we picked out a new water filter that is supposed to remove bacteria from the water as well as all the other stuff.  It was the only one that would remove bateria and Whirlpool is a good name so we picked that one. 

Here is a picture of the sink installed.  We haven't tested the running of the water yet because he still has to install the water filter.

Finally, I had this idea in my head for a solution to my 'too many necklaces and not enough room to hang them' problem.  (No...I don't want to throw some of them away...I am a very diverse person who needs lots of change when it comes to decorating this body...lol)  The idea was to have a couple of nicely sanded and stained pieces of wood placed horizontally on a wall about 10 inces apart.  Then a lot of little gold nails could be placed on both pieces of wood and necklaces hung separately on each nail. 

When we got into the wood section we weren't actually in the wood section but we were in the baseboard, quarter round section and ran across some really neat boards with leaves burned into them.  It had places in it that nails could be put (little dots evenly spaced across the wood) and those will be the locations of each nail for each necklace.  I'm not quite done with the staining and painting yet but I did get a picture of the not quite finished boards.  I still need to paint the stems and vine and I am going to make them yellow (I think...still not sure about that one).  I stained the wood this morning and waited for it to dry while we worked on the new sink.    Below is a picture of the boards in their half finished state.

That is all the projects that I remember picking out.  I am sure that Tom feels like it was ENOUGH...lol.  We should be able to finish these in the next few days and then before we know it, it will be time to return to the grind of work.  It is fun to putter around here a bit before we have to go back to work.

Here is some Max to fill your day with:

"Only Life

By Max Lucado

“Be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10

Can you imagine a life with no death, only life? If you can, you can imagine heaven. For citizens of heaven wear the crown of life . . .

We are not made of steel, we are made of dust. And this life is not crowned with life, it is crowned with death.

The next life, however, is different."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Home Again...YEAH!!!

Vacations are a time of renewal of spirit and body.   Well, maybe not so much body except that I am so tired at night that I am sleeping really well.  8-)  Vacations make you appreciate the creature comforts of home and make you glad to be there again.

We had a wonderful dinner with Sharyn, Sherman, and Dustin at Texas Roadhouse on Wednesday night and then went back to the hotel and packed in preparation for heading out on Thursday.  Sharyn had a sonogram scheduled for Thursday morning so we met them at the hospital prior to heading out to be with her in case it wasn't good news.  It was all good news and we spent a few minutes praising God before heading back home.

On the way home we stopped in Glendale and went into a few antique stores and then headed down to Bowling Green to check out the Lost Caves.  They had a really nice souvenir store and I found a necklace, some earrings and a really cute rock tree for the mantel.  Mom has one of these and I always thought it was cute. 

We are already in the throws of laundry and fixing things.  As you can see below, my handy man is being very handy cleaning out the lint filter. 

I guess we'll head out and get some groceries in a little bit and a new air duct.  This one is made out of aluminum and very rigid (why they would make a dryer hose like that I cannot figure...) so we are going to look for a more flexible hose when we're out and about later today.

Here is a word from Max about our temporary housing here on earth...

"Our Forever House

By Max Lucado

“I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6, NKJV

Where will you live forever? In the house of the Lord. If his house is your “forever house,” what does that make this earthly house? You got it! Short term housing. This is not our home.

This explains the homesickness we feel . . . Deep down you know you are not home yet. So be careful not to act like you are."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

More Vacation Stuff...

Our trip is progressing quite nicely.  We had a lot of fun visiting with Don and Mary. (Tom's friends from his childhood.)  We went to their door (now you have to realize that they haven't seen Tom in 20 years) and saw the curtains flutter when we knocked on the door.  Our first thought was that no one was going to answer the door.  (Tom WAS going to say when she opened the door, "Have you heard the word of God today?" in a nasaly voice reminiscent of an old Saturday Night Live joke but when she opened the door and he saw her face he decided that wasn't a good idea if he wanted her to let him in...lol)

Anyway, Mary opens the door and says "Can I help you?" and he says "I'm looking for Don and Mary Clark" and she says "I'm Mary but Don isn't here."  She didn't have a particularly friendly look on her face but Tom forged on..."Well, I'm Tom" and she says "Tom?" and he says "Tom Hammond" and she repeats it and then you see a light bulb come on for her...lol.  She gave us a really big hug and invited us in. 

She tried to get Don to come home because he was at a church picnic and he said he was about to start their bible study and would come home after that.  We chatted with Mary and their son Jimmy for the next hour and then when Don was about to come in the door, she sent Tom out of the room and introduces me to Don as her cousin and says, "You remember her, right?" and he has this puzzled look on his face but says "yes, I remember her."  Their son Jimmy was absolutely rolling on the floor laughing and I figured that would give it away to Don and then Tom walks in and Don looks at him with another puzzled face.  We tell him who Tom is and all of a sudden he gets it and actually looks relieved...lol.

We had dinner with them last night and heard Don's testamony and he shared some CDs with us from different sermons that his pastor has given and he gave us a New Testement on CDs as well.  Honestly, he has such a generous and giving spirit that, if he had thought of it, he would have given us the shirt off of his back if we wanted it.  They are a really sweet couple and I hope we see them again soon.  I would love to meet someone like them in Alabama and become best friends with them. 

We took our camera with us last night and totally forgot to get pictures.  In fact, we left the camera there and they called us and we had to go back and get it.

Early yesterday we went over to Sharyn and Sherman's and went with them and their grandson, Dustin, to the Creation Museum.  It was really an amazing place. 

We started by going to the Stargazers Planetarium show.  We were all herded into an auditorium with seats that laid back so you could see the ceiling where all the stars and galaxies, etc were shown.  By the time it was all over, you realized just how small and insignificant you really are in the scheme of things and you wonder, since we are such a small part of the entire system that God created, why does he care for us so much?

Next we went on to the different displays.

Bambi and I getting to know each other...

Tom traveled back in time to play with the dinosaur...

They had an amazing display of Noah's ark.  Here are some pictures from the different displays of their idea of what Noah's ark was like.

Old Noah was organized...lined 'em up..two by two..

Close up of that two by two action ...

 Poor prostate sinners....missed the boat....

Floating around in that sealed up boat...sinners dying all around it.  I sure am glad God came up with a different plan to save lost sinners.  8-)

The detail they put into the inside of the ark was great.  Here they are having a family dinner inside the ark.

More of the inside of the Ark...

Just imagine the smell from all those animals closed up in the ark.  All the work that Noah and his family had to do to take care of all the animals and make sure they lived until the flooding was over.

The final scene on Mt. Ararat.  You KNOW they were glad to open that door and get out of there.  8-)

Today, Tom let me sleep in until 9:30 this morning and then we got our coffee and looked for a movie to go see.  We finally picked "Larry Crowne" which is a Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts movie.  It was really good.  A good lighthearted comedy.  We are resting around the room until dinner time and then we are heading over to Texas Roadhouse to have dinner with Sharyn and Sherman tonight and say goodbye to them before we head back home tomorrow. 

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Vacation....AHHHHHHHHHHHH...

We started out on our trip yesterday and after getting our Starbuck's Coffee we were on the road.  I read while we were on the road (Yeah for the IPOD and Kindle application...I love to read.)  We drove until we got to Bowling Green, KY and ate at Cracker Barrel.  We both had the brisket (like any of you care what we ate...lol) and then splurged and got this berry cobbler for dessert.  It was a mixture of blueberry, blackberry, and strawberries with a delicate crust and blackberry ice cream on top.  OH IT WAS YUMMY...8-) 

We then headed on to complete the trip that would take us into Covington, KY.  We checked into our hotel and the first thing we saw when we drove around to the back entrance was this:

Of course, just getting a picture of the Weiner, wasn't enough....I needed one of Tom with the weiner...lol

After we unloaded the truck of all our STUFF that was required to exist for a few days in KY, we headed out to Walmart to find a good pillow and a few other sundry items that I needed.  As we pulled into the Walmart parking lot, Tom says, "What's that?  Texas something..." 

And all of a sudden we both realize that it is a Texas Roadhouse and it is only 5 minutes away from our hotel.  We were plenty tired and so glad that there was something that close that just happens to be our FAVORITE restaurant.  We did our Walmart run and then went over for a leisurely supper.  They have the best Filet Mignon Steak in the world. 

We went back to the hotel and the rest of the day was spent recuperating and sleeping.  We woke up late this morning because neither of us slept very well.  The room seemed too warm and the bed wasn't as good as our bed at home.  We headed first thing this morning to spend the day with his sister and brother-in-law Sherman.  We visited with their daughter Robin and son-in-law Tony and their 6 (Yes, that is SIX children) who were just absolutely delightful.  They ranged from ages 7 to 18 years in age.  They left and then their daughter Tammy and her two sons came over.  Austin who is almost 4 and Dustin who is 11.  They also have (I think) 5 grandchildren that live in Texas.  So she has 13 grandchildren.  Amazing...

Here they are working to get the fourth of July meal on the table.  They wouldn't let us help so we just sat around like useless knots on logs.  (I'm not very good at doing that so I snuck pictures while they were busy.)

It really was an amazing meal, blueberries, strawberries, grapes (three differet kinds), watermelon, chips, hamburgers, hotdogs, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and soda.  Tom and I just kept nibbling on all that fruit long after they were done eating.

Tom, Sharyn, and Sherman.

 Tom and his Sister, Sharyn

Sharyn and some strange girl without much hair yet....wonder who she is?

After visiting with Sharyn and Sherman, we rode over to his friend Don Clark's and had some fun visiting there.  That is another story for another day. 

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! 

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

It’s us who put him there...

It is almost 5 in the afternoon and we are almost packed and ready to go traveling up to Kentucky to see Tom's family.  We are a bit excited to be able to travel again.  Tom is really looking forward to seeing his family again and I really hope he gets to connect with his High School/Air Force buddy as well.

My energy level is very good and I've packed enough of my medicines for two weeks in case of emergency.  You just never know what kind of a turn life might take you on so it is always good to be prepared.  We haven't 'scheduled' anything for this trip so it will just be a 'do things as whims hit us' kind of trip.  That is my favorite kind of trip.  My boss looked at me like I had two heads when I told him that the other day.  I mean, I am a SCHEDULER by trade but don't schedule my vacations...it was just a totally alien thought for him.  Ah well, I am who I am...

I have my first mammogram on the 27th of July.  I'll be honest, I dread it.  It will tell whether all that we have gone through this last year has been worth it or not.  They'll be doing my next PET scan to look for any new tumors in some other part of my body probably in October.  This will continue (according to my oncologyst for the next 10 years).  I'm just not really sure I WANT to know if there are any more tumors.  If there are, I would have to make the decision about whether I was going to do anything about them or not.  I'm not a quitter but I also don't want to drag Tom through all that again.  Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  And MAYBE we won't ever reach that bridge...that is my prayer.

Here is a little Max for today...

"Take Your Heart to the Cross

By Max Lucado

“He willingly gave his life . . . He carried away the sins of many people.” Isaiah 53:12

You can’t go to the cross with just your head and not your heart. It doesn’t work that way. Calvary is not a mental trip. It’s not an intellectual exercise . . .

It’s a heart-splitting hour of emotion . . .

That’s God on that cross. It’s us who put him there."

Amen and amen...
 
By Grace Alone -
 
Teresa

Getting Ready for the Trip

Travel and I have a love/hate relationship.

I hate getting ready for the trip and making the plans but I love it once we have everything (and I mean EVERYTHING...I'll touch on that later) packed up and ready to walk out the door.

I love seeing new things and experiencing new foods and things like that. I love seeing family and friends that I haven't seen in many years.  I love it once we are checked into the hotel and settled and ready to venture out into the 'newness' of a different environment.

This year we are going to Kentucky to visit with Tom's sister for a few days and plan on seeing an old old old (did I say OLD) friend of my husband's. I think he said his name is Don Clark. This is someone he grew up with (I think) and he hasn't seen him for about 20 years. I asked him if he was going to call him and see if we could visit and he gave me this little smirky grin of his and said, "No...I was just going to go to his house and ring the bell." Ah, the difference between Venus and Mars...

We went shopping today because I wanted some cropped pants to wear on the trip. I've never had cropped pants before but they are the popular pants to wear in today's world and they are EXTREMELY comfortable. When I was growing up they were called 'pedal pushers' and I think the were invented so young girls could wear them and ride bicycles (hence the name 'pedal pushers') without getting their pants legs caught in the chains of the bicycle. I wouldn't have been caught dead in them when I was growing up and they really don't look GREAT on me but my days of vanity really have passed (I think) because I bought three pairs of them today. Of course, they had some cute tops and sweaters/jackets to go with them so I think I'm pretty set for the trip now. I missed the Coldwater Creek 50% off sale that was going on during my birthday so today was a full price day. Ugh. Ah well, we only live once. 8-)

OK, back to the 'packing for a trip' saga. Packing is quite a process because we don't just take clothes...we pick out particular movies that we want to watch before we go to sleep at night and we pack up a DVD player (it's a little bitty one that works with most hotel TVs but if not then we use one of our computers to play it). Yeah, we take our computers, IPODS, IPADs, IPhones, wall chargers, Car Chargers, etc. (You get the idea, we must be entertained at all times...) Of course, I have to figure out which shoes, which jewelry, what medicines, what first aid items, etc are needed. My pillows have to be packed for the trip because I am a picky sleeper. (Yeah, two of them just for me...lol) I can have a bad bed but I have to have 'my' pillows. We pack an ice chest with water. The list goes on and on. By the time we leave, there is nothing of any real value left in the house for anyone to steal so we don't worry too much about that.

With this trip, we are paying the neighbor's son to come over every day and feed and water Shadow (our fat cat) and make sure her litter is cleaned out daily. This way she doesn't have to be traumatized at the kennel. We think it is a win-win situation. Even if he only feeds and waters her and doesn't empty her litter then we will be happy. (Not that I would tell him that.)

So, we venture out next Sunday (not tomorrow but the 3rd of July) and won't be back for about a week. Pray for us as we travel. Pray my strength will hold out to ensure Tom has a great time while we are away. He SOOO deserves a relaxed and fun time.

Here is a really good quote by Max Lucado today...
 
"In God’s plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better.

And—this is important—though you and I may wish a longer life for our loved ones, they don’t. Ironically, the first to accept God’s decision of death is the one who dies. 

While we are shaking heads in disbelief, they are lifting hands in worship. While we are mourning at a grave, they are marveling at heaven. While we are questioning God, they are praising God." - Max Lucado.

By Grace Alone -
 
Teresa

By Grace Alone...

I'm just in the mood to write a little.  The sun is shining and the birds are singing and life abounds everywhere I look.  I'm glad I went through Chemo in the winter months because I wouldn't have wanted to feel that oppressing weight that I felt during the light summer months. 

I love summer.  I've always loved summer.  When I was growing up it was a time for getting up and going to the city pool and spending all day with my friends playing pool games and getting brown in the sun.  The first summer my Mom bought me a season ticket to the pool, I stayed out in the sun 8 hours the first day it opened and burned myself to a crisp.  I had to wait weeks for my shoulders to heal before I could go back out to the pool.  I did stupid things as a child.  (I was only 12...what did I know about sunscreen...lol)  Now I'm not allowed to worship the Sun Gods...sigh.  I get to look at it outside my window though.  I wish you could hear these birds...they are so happy that summer has come.

I got my first haircut yesterday.  YUP...the back and sides have grown much faster than the top and we had to even it up so it didn't look like a really bad haircut.  That was kind of exciting.  I saw a bit of hair come flying off of her scissors and I said, "WOW...I just saw hair fall...how cool is that?"  I've been going to Nancy to get my hair and nails done for the last 4 years and she has become my friend and confidant.  She is a kindred spirit.  I love her dearly.  We have laughed and cried together from the first time we cut most of my hair off so it wouldn't be so bad when it started falling out to now when we are rejoicing over the ability to have hair to cut.    8-)  For those of you who might be wondering what type of hair I have now...it is definitely curly.  It was curly before and it is still curly so it isn't always the opposite type of hair that one gets after it falls out from chemo.  I wouldn't have minded having straight hair but I think that my hair is too fine for straight...it probably would have looked limp if it were straight so once again, God knows what he is doing.   8-)

My Mom is settling into an easy rhythm now that she has moved to Texas.  My sister and her children are taking very good care of her and making sure all her needs are met.  I'm really thankful for my sister and her sacrifices to take care of my Mom.  (Of course, she is her mom too...8-)

We are defintely going to Kentucky to see Tom's sister during our vacation in July.  We've decided that I really don't have the energy to travel on to see our son in North Dakota on the same trip so we will take this shorter trip and come back and relax before going back to work.  I believe the trip will do both of us good.  We are going to get the neighbor's son to check on Shadow (our cat) while we are gone.  She did not do well in the kennel last time so I don't want to go that route again. 

Here is a little Max for you for today...it touches Grace in an awesome way:

 "To Be Saved By Grace

By Max Lucado

“God gives us a free gift—life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

One of the hardest things to do is to be saved by grace. There’s something in us that reacts to God’s free gift. We have some weird compulsion to create laws, systems, and regulations that will make us “worthy” of our gift.

Why do we do that? The only reason I can figure is pride. To accept grace means to accept its necessity, and most folks don’t like to do that. To accept grace also means that one realizes his despair, and most people aren’t too keen on doing that either."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Happy Birthday to Me!

This year, I found myself in awe that we are almost a year after being diagnosed with cancer and having a 'birthday' means more than it ever did in the past.  I actually made myself a cake this year.  8-)  One of my coworkers told me about this angel food cake made with heath candy broken up and folded into heavy whipping cream so I gave it a shot and boy oh boy, was it delicious!  Here is a picture of the finished product.  OK, so it doesn't look store bought but it is definitely yummy.

I had never whipped cream before and really had a lot of fun watching it go from liquidy to fluffy and firm.  I keep thinking that it will revert to it's liquidy state but nope...it is Sunday and almost two days after I made it and it is still holding firm.  This made a very light cake that we both enjoyed.  Thanks to Jay for the recipe.  8-)

We also went to Newk's for lunch and I had this GREAT vegetable pizza and Tom had a steak sandwich and then we went shopping for new computers.  We were both having trouble with our other laptops so we knew it was time and they made great birthday and father's day gifts.  Tom had already gotten me a black diamond necklace but when he mentioned getting new computers it really did seem like a good idea.  We were due for some new technology.  8-)

I was pretty beat after trecking all over town looking for the 'right' computer so instead of traveling all the way to Florence to Texas Roadhouse, as we had originally planned for supper, we decided to go to the El Olmeca Mexican restaurant that is just down the road from where we live.  This finished the day up quite nicely. 

So, suffice it to say that I am completely thankful to have celebrated another birthday.  May each of your birthday's be as special to you.  Don't take any days for granted...they are all a gift from God.  8-)

Spring is almost over!

A 'lot' and 'not a lot' has happened since Mother's Day.  8-)

A lot because we actually did our first trip since I was told that I am in remission.  We traveled up to Tennessee to see Mom while she was up there.  We had a great time visiting with her and  her friends.  (We had Dinner and games at Gene and Judy Roger's mother's house.  Marion is Judy's mother.) 

Marion is an amazing woman.  She is 92 years old and sharp as a tack.  She stomped us playing Dominoes.  I thoroughly enjoyed hearing her stories (and she had quite a few of them).  Tom and I both were amazed by her clarity of mind.  I wouldn't mind living to 92 if I were still that sharp.  8-)

So, bottom line, we traveled and I really had more energy than I have had in several years.  I feel 120% better than I did prior to being diagnosed with Cancer.

My hair is growing in and my beautician, Nancy, actually had to cut some off of the back of my head to even up the straggly look at the base of my neck last week.  I probably have a good inch and a half now after almost 5 months.  YEAH for hair.  8-)  I actually found one hair on my pillow this morning where it had fallen out.  So, the cycle of hair is going as it should now.  As for it being straight or curly...well, the back is definitely curly...more curly than it was prior to chemo.  The front and sides still look straight but I think it just hasn't grown enough yet to look curly.  About a half inch behind the back still.  As long as I have hair...I don't care if it is straight or curly.

Weather here in Alabama is in the 90's and we are thoroughly enjoying what seems to already be the end of spring and the beginning of summer.  The back yard is beautiful and green (Tom is out there cutting it as I type). 

Work is full force now and I have the energy to take care of everything that I need to there.  I could not be more blessed than I am right now.  I thank God everyday for each day that comes my way.  Life is GOOD.

We have to start planning our July trip soon.  We are planning to get up to Kentucky and visit with his sister and up to North Dakota to visit with our son.  

Well, not much else going on here...our life is simple and I really like that.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

How out of touch could I possibly be?

Because of the storm, I lost track of time.  Really...it's true.

We don't have cable at our house but we do have internet.  When our power went off last week, (for almost a week) I wasn't thinking about Mother's day but as time went on, I started wondering when it was.  I knew it was in the month of May and I thought it was after my mother's birthday on the 16th.  I had the card and the gift all ready to send off.  Thursday, after the work flurry died down (you know what it's like when you've been away from work for a week and you have to play 'catch-up') I took a minute to ask Google when Mother's Day for 2011 is.  I was sadly surprised to find out that it was three days away.  OK, that was 2 mailing days so I BLEW IT.  I am the WORST daughter in the world.

I read Mom her mother's day card on Friday so she would at least hear it and know that I really had thought of her.  I also got her some Farmville gift cards for her playing enjoyment. 

So, Mom...know that I love you and think about you a lot and always pray that you are happy and content in whatever activities you are currently 'into'.  We are looking forward to seeing you in TN next weekend and we will spend some time laughing and enjoying ourselves while we're together. 

(Bellsouth is having internet connection problems still so we are up and down today with the internet.  I am working feverishly to get this posted before it goes down again.)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

How I Have Changed

Everyone says Cancer changes you. 

I don't think it is the Cancer so much that changes you but God changes your heart as you go through Cancer.

So I want to journal how I think I have changed and I will look back on this in a year and see if I have kept these changed qualities or if my sinful nature has taken back over these positive changes.  (I sure hope it doesn't because I like this 'me' much better.)

I lost a lot of my prideful nature.  I am no longer wearing hats to cover my very short hair.  I HAVE hair which is more than I had a few months ago.  I've never been 'model' beautiful but I could cover up the lack of beauty before with hair.  8-)  I'm not so concerned with being 'beautiful' anymore.  I am now concerned with being 'alive'.  8-)

I find myself wanting to talk to people, to get to know them...I was more of a loner before Cancer.

I find myself being more tolerant of others.  So people aren't perfect...I am over caring whether they are perfect or not.  I am learning to look beyond their flaws and see more of the inner person that God created for me to enjoy.

I no longer look to other people for 'acceptance'...I think because of my own father's rejection of me as a child (in my mind...probably not in reality) I was always looking for others to accept me and if they accepted me then I was 'ok'.  I now realize more than ever that it doesn't matter if others accept me or not, God accepted me just as I am (sinful nature and all) and because of this, I can accept myself. 

I have always been thankful for my time with my husband but it has become even more precious since going through Cancer because we never know when one of us might be taken away to be with God.  (Which would obviously be more glorious than being together but one of us would be left to wait for the time when we would be together again in heaven.)

I am more relaxed about 'stuff' than I used to be.  I can remember a time when I could not stand to go to bed if anything in the house was out of place.  No problem now.   Things around me don't have to be 'perfect'.  Don't get me wrong...I like clean and organized, but the world won't end if it isn't.   (Of course, the effexor may be part of the reason for this change...HA!)

Those are some of the most obvious changes in myself.  It will definitely be interesting to look back on this in a year and see what 'took' and whether or not I reverted back to my basic nature.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

God's Not Done with Me Yet...

As you all have heard by now, several tornadoes ripped through the part of Alabama that I live in last Wednesday.  I got into work on Wednesday at 6:10 in the morning and was ushered into the shelter area in our building for 20 minutes.  I went back to my desk and 6 minutes later they were ushering us back into the shelter area in our building.  About a half an hour later, I got to return to my office again. 

The next time the announcement went off telling us to report to the shelter area, I ignored it and shut the door to my office and continued to work.  I had too much to do to stop every few minutes and sit in the auditorium and do nothing.  I wasn't taking that silly tornado business too seriously.  I'd survived hurricanes over and over in Florida, how bad could tornadoes be? 

We left work around 3:30 at the urging of management to get us home before the really 'bad' tornadoes hit.  As soon as we got home, our power went out.  We stood looking out the kitchen window as a tornado was strolling by about a half a mile away.  Again, we didn't take it too seriously...I fixed us some cold sandwiches out of the left over roast beef from the night before and we sat around reading on our iPads until it was bedtime and dark. 

We went to bed and slept the night away and decided the next morning that it was time to drag out the generator.  We got everything hooked up (I wish I had taken a picture of the living room while all those extension cords were snaking through it for your amusement but alas, I did not.) 

After we got the generator going we decided that we would need some fuel to power it if we were going to run it for any length of time.  We proceeded to get gasoline, some lunch, and some groceries to tide us through the next day or so.  (This was Thursday)  The wait in line for gasoline was like a flash back to the 1973 gas wars.  We waited in line for a little over two hours to fill up 3 five gallon containers and the truck's gas tank.  Here are some of the sights that we saw in the aftermath of the storm.

The picture below is of people searching through the remains of their home after it was hit by a tornado.  It broke my heart to watch them searching for anything that might be left.

This picture is of a church that was taken down by the tornadoes.

This is a picture of a new lake in the area.  This used to be a farmer's field.   We Christened this one Lake Tom.

Another view of the church that was flattened.

Still another view of the church.  (I was pretty astonished by this one...)

If you look in the horizon, you can see where the power pole is broken and leaning over.

This is a local furniture store.  See the sign that was uprooted and is now leaning on the truck?

 LARGE tree totally uprooted.

 Power line damage...

 Another new lake that used to be a farmer's field.  We christened this one Lake Hammond.

House, tree and power line damage...

I have more pictures, but I think you will get the idea from all of these.  We were more than blessed since the only thing that we lost was a large 96 gallon trash can that was sitting out in the street waiting for the trash people to pick up the trash out of.  I was pretty sure that since God didn't see fit to take me out with Cancer that he wasn't going to take me out with a Tornado.  I really don't believe that God is done with me yet, but I will be a bit more cautious during the next storm.  I have learned a healthy respect for tornadoes after this one.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa